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Tao Lin’s next book, a novella, will be published September 8 2009 by Melville House Publishing
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Tao Lin’s print oeuvre as of September 2009
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The ”Can’t Concentrate” Manatee by Tao Lin
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Upside-Down Cross Friends by Tao Lin
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Product analysis by Tao Lin
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Tao Lin’s Development as a Human Being by Tao Lin
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Tao Lin’s childhood toy poodle enjoying itself in a park in Florida
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Tao Lin’s childhood toy poodle enjoying a smoothie in Florida
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Middle-aged octopus using a giant stuffed animal octopus to hold it at night to relieve loneliness by Tao Lin
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3x octopus enjoying themselves at various levels from “bored with life” to “tears of joy” by Tao Lin
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Tao Lin
Guest Posting 20 - 24 July 2009
Tao Lin is the author of five books of fiction and poetry including Eeeee eee eeee (Melville House, 2007) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (Melville House, 2008). His next book, Shoplifting from American Apparel, will be published by Melville House in September 2009 in the U.S. and October 2009 in the UK. The Brooklyn based writer that has a wit and style that is so personal and matter of fact that you can’t help but be seduced by his words.
What have you got planned this week?
Walking around with my girlfriend eating meals, sitting in the library typing emails, maybe seeing a movie in a movie theatre.
What do your parents think you do?
Maybe “lay around” feeling bored and sometimes doing Pilates or writing poetry.
Who do you look like?
No known celebrities look like me, based on what I know.
What’s your favourite sense?
Maybe hearing.
Tell us something people don’t know about you…
I “pooped my pants” at my girlfriend’s house then later “almost did it again” in a Starbucks bathroom in Pittsburgh recently.
Did your education count?
I feel that either “everything counts” or “nothing counts” but am not sure what either of those imply in terms of a person’s life. Might “just” be “a matter of semantics.”
What word can’t you spell?
Maybe words with two consecutive r’s.
Tell us a good fact
I feel at this point in my life unable to “comfortably” answer questions with “good” in them without knowing a context and a goal for “good.” I think I started feeling this way in early-2006. Not sure what exactly caused me to be like this, was probably a gradual shift.
What’s Next?
A “steady stream” of gimmicks culminating perhaps in “steady cash flow” resulting in a healthier lifestyle in terms of getting new contact lenses, eating more organic food, living in a clean environment, and seeing a doctor sometimes.
What’’s your ‘Plan B’?
I feel I have no “other” plan because I feel it’s “not possible” to “fail” at what I am doing. Financially it seems difficult to “fail” at this point, because I seem to have “thrived” in what seems to have been “a state of failure” the past four to seven years; artistically it seems I “cannot fail” because of my “there is no good or bad in art” view of art.
Guest Posts
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Tracy Brannstrom
- Guest posted by Tao Lin 20 July 2009
Tracy Brannstrom is 21 or 22 years old right now, I think. She went to college in Chicago for fashion, I think, then moved to the UK at some point. Her blog is my favorite collection of one-panel “comics” online or in print. I found her blog by looking at my Statcounter in maybe 2006 or 2007 and seeing her blog linking my blog.
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Bear Parade
- Guest posted by Tao Lin 21 July 2009
Bear Parade is an online book publisher edited and designed by Gene Morgan. Each book on Bear Parade appears only on Bear Parade and is presented in a unique design by Gene Morgan. I like every book on Bear Parade. I like every book’s design on Bear Parade. I honestly like 100% of the writing on Bear Parade. Other websites that I view myself as “liking” I probably like, at most, 15-25% of the writing.
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The Mystery Books
- Guest posted by Tao Lin 22 July 2009
The Mystery Books is a band from Gainesville, Florida. Their singer is Joseph Moore. I think Joseph is 20 right now. I like Joseph’s writing and art, some of which are on his blog. I like how in the Pizza Palace video the entire band stares at the ground while playing. Sample lyrics: “I found myself lying on my back / looking up at nothing / in a hot dark room / in the middle of the day, today / I felt utterly confused.”
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Hop Along, Queen Ansleis
- Guest posted by Tao Lin 23 July 2009
Hop Along, Queen Ansleis is a band from Philadelphia, I think. It used to be just Frances Quinlan but is now a full band. I found them somehow through Plan-it-x records. They have self-released their records so far, I think. Their previous and maybe first full-length CD Freshman Year came out in 2005 and was written by Frances Quinlan in her freshman year of college. I am excited for future releases by this band.
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Frederick Barthelme
- Guest posted by Tao Lin 24 July 2009
Frederick Barthelme (b. 1943) is the author of nine novels and six other books. He edits the Mississippi Review. I like many of his books enough to reread them every year or two years. He seems consistent, as a writer. I like his tone. I like his characters. They seem calm, funny, non-dramatic, considerate, and accepting. My favorite novels by him are maybe Two Against One (1988) and Bob the Gambler (1997).
